40 OVER 40 Martha Silcott
#25
Martha Silcott
Founder and CEO of FabLittleBag
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
Every day, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads are flushed down the toilet contributing to record pollution levels in our rivers and oceans. Step forward Martha Silcott who is addressing the problem of sanitary disposal head on. She is the founder of FabLittleBag and their mission is to convert the flushers into binners and empower women and girls to feel relaxed and in control when they dispose of their tampons and pads in the bin.
The FabLittleBag is a little opaque, sustainably sourced disposal bag that women can use to dispose of their products quickly and easily and place in the bin. Innovatively designed to be used with one hand, the bag is fully sealable so when there's no bin in the toilet, it can be put in a handbag or pocket and placed in a bin elsewhere.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
Talking to Martha was an eye opener for me. I'm a menopausal woman who hasn't had a period for some time now and as a result, there wasn't a bin in my downstairs toilet. Unforgivable for someone who regularly has other women and girls in her home, talk about an oversight. I now have a bin in there along with some Fab Little Bags and I encourage you all to do the same.
Martha also does a lot of work with the sports industry and has designed Eco Coach's Bags filled with period products for sportswomen and girls to access through their coach in a discreet black bag. She says she wants all the products a girl might need when she's on her period to be accessible without having to directly approach a coach (especially a male one which could make some girls feel less comfortable). The bag should just be there with all the other kit for easy access, no questions asked.
Read on to find out how the product came into being and to hear some wise words from Martha about running a business and life over 40. Huge thanks to Martha for taking part in the 40 OVER 40 project.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
What was the “aha” moment that led to the creation of FabLittleBag?
Being in someone else's house and having to change my tampon in the downstairs loo as a binner only to find that there was no bin at all and I was forced to wrap up the used tampon in extra toilet roll and put it up my sleeve and smuggle it back to the table and put it in my handbag to take home. This led to discussions with my friends. Half of them told me even more horror stories involving dogs taking used pads out of bins with no lids and then chasing dogs around people's houses trying to rescue their pad and other friends who looked confused and asked me why I don't flush them down the toilet because that's what they do. There was suddenly a realisation that flushers and binners coexist, everyone assuming they're doing the same thing as everyone else.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
Do you think there are advantages to launching a business over 40?
I wouldn't necessarily put an absolute number on it but clearly the older you are the more experiences you have and arguably the more lessons you may have learned that you can bring to the table. There is an exchange however of naivety and experience and actually I think you need both. To me it's more of a mindset than a particular age or number. However, there are many advantages of starting a business in latter years not only your experience but your network is more developed and you've probably already had some failures to dust yourself down from and hopefully you are more confident in yourself. Tenacity, confidence, belief are key attributes needed for any business alongside of course grit.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
Did you ever battle self-doubt or imposter syndrome, and how did you handle it?
Does anyone not have self-doubt at certain points? I think it's part of being a human being that self-doubt creeps in from time to time. Also as Founders you are continually putting yourself in positions which are outside of any comfort zone so yes self doubt is a frequent feeling I have. Imposter syndrome less so as I just don't like it as a concept. If you're doing something in a space and you have knowledge and experience then you are equipped to be at the table.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
What’s your biggest piece of advice for someone thinking of starting a business and what do you wish you knew when you first started?
Stress test your idea thoroughly before you leave your employed job with all its security. There are loads of good ideas but is it commercially viable? Do people really want it? Will they pay for it? What are the barriers you will need to jump through that you can identify already to make your business the success you want it to be? Do not listen to friends and family, they love you and will tell you whatever they think you want to hear. Also, there is big difference between a hobby business and a business where you are planning to scale and exit. Both are completely valid and worthwhile. You just need to be clear which one yours is. There are pros and cons of having cofounders. I personally wish I had always had a cofounder. It wasn't something I was particularly aware of and I would've appreciated a conversation with somebody about that at the start.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
You’re trying to get your products into companies operated largely by men. What have those challenges been like?
They continue to be numerous and slightly frustrating. Firstly, and there is no blame at all for this, men do not have empathy as they have never tried to sit on the edge of the toilet somewhere and change a tampon or pad in a tricky environment and then do the handbag smuggle. On the other hand they are in a position of power and decision-making in areas that impact this experience and therefore they arguably could be more educated about what women experience and the impact that flushing has on the rivers and oceans and aquatic environment. Because it's a taboo subject and not something that directly affects men in that way I often have to provide a lot of education to men as a precursor to getting to the solution that FabLittleBag provides. Most men I find are very open to being educated and enlightened, however this is not always the case which adds a layer of difficulty and frustration to the selling process with larger companies in particular.
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Wear sunscreen every day
Martha Silcottby Jenny Smith
Thank you Martha for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.
I think it's fair to say our hormones have affected us all at some time or another. If you fancy a bit of a laugh, check out my podcast, Dear Hormones where women share their hormonal stories, the good the bad and the ugly - listen here.